Army Chief General Naravane conferred with honorary rank of ‘General of the Nepal Army’ by Nepal President
The Chief of Army Staff Indian Army General MM Naravane conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at a special ceremony in Kathmandu on Thursday. The event organized at the presidential palace 'ShitalNiwas', was attended by Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and key functionaries of government.
Naravane has also presented a sword and scroll during the function. An Indian embassy statement said, "The practice follows a seven-decade-old tradition of conferring Army Chiefs of each other's country with the honorary title."
According to the embassy's statement, Commander-in-Chief General KM Cariappa was the first Indian Army Chief to be decorated with the title in 1950. In January last year, Chief of Nepali Army, General Purna Chandra Thapa, was also made the honorary General of the Indian Army by President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony in New Delhi.
Army Gen Naravane is on a three-day visit to the Himalayan country aiming to put the bilateral ties back on track.
He met his Nepalese counterpart Gen Thapa at the Chief of Army Staff and presented medical equipment for two field hospitals of Nepali Army XRay machines, computed radiography systems, ICU ventilators, video Endoscopy units, anesthesia machines, lab equipment, and ambulances.
Naravane also paid homage at the martyrs' memorial in the Army Pavilion and received a guard of honour in the Army Headquarters.
On his final day of the visit, he is scheduled to meet Nepalese PM Oli.
